Perilous Chance
by Artifice88
Summary: Takes place before the last chapter in Book 7. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are invited to return to Hogwarts for their final year. Harry Potter has found victory over many treacherous battles, but can he resist and conquer a forbidden love? Harry
1. Unexpected Invitations

Chapter One

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A warm summer's breeze drifted in through the Weasley's open windows and brought with it a drowsy state to one occupant that was in the Weasley household – Ron Weasley. The other two in the room with him were none other than Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley.

They sat together on the twin bed opposite Ron's and talked quietly about recent events and what they thought about the days to come. Ron sat propped up against his headboard with his head lulling on his shoulder. His bright red, shaggy hair drooped over his closed eyes, which seemed to grow even wilder over the summer. He was belting out a loud snore every so often and then receded back to soft rattles that he made in his throat. Ginny was nestled in between Harry's legs, with her back leaning against his chest, and one of her hands in his.

Harry smiled as he watched her wrinkle her nose at a thought she was voicing which caused her freckles to bunch up together. He looked over at Ron, all the while keeping a listening ear to Ginny's chatter. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as Ron let out a thunderous snore that interrupted Ginny's speech. She shook her head and let out a small laugh, "He's always interrupting me, one way or another." She released Harry's hand and stood, giving him a wink as she headed towards Ron's bedroom door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Just down to see what mum's up to, she's been rather quiet the past hour or so. It's scary when she's quiet, really scary," she said with a serious expression. Harry snorted as she left. However, he couldn't push aside the feeling that she was right. Mrs. Weasley usually was one to be lively.

Harry sat on the bed for a few minutes, unsure what to do with himself. He dare not wake Ron – Ron was always a monster when he was forced to wake. He got off of the lumpy mattress and went to stare out the window. It was a beautiful summer's day. Everything seemed so calm and quiet outside – it seemed normal. He was still adjusting to feeling what it was like to have a normal day, a boring day. The past seven years of his life had been nothing but chaos, constant trouble that never seemed to slow. Now that those years had passed and a mellow life ensued, it caused him to feel anxious, unsettled.

Slowly his thoughts poured out of the container he tried sealing them in. It seemed only yesterday that he defeated Voldemort. It seemed only moments before that he gazed upon Remus Lupin and his wife, Tonks, lying peacefully in Hogwarts' Great Hall. Their marriage had been so short – they were robbed of so much. He recalled the image of Fred Weasley, also placed in the Great Hall, and the grief stricken look upon his twin brother's face. They had all lost so much and he felt to blame.

He heaved a sigh and cast a guilty look over towards Ron who was deep in slumber. They all reassured him that none of it was his fault. It was Voldemort that had done the evil deeds. Voldemort who had taken away things they held dear. They told Harry that he prevented further suffering, he preserved their world before things got any worse, before it fell back into darkness like it had in the previous war when Voldemort was at the height of his power. They were grateful to him for being so courageous that night when he stormed out of the castle alone, facing his fears, facing death, sacrificing himself so the battle inside would cease and finally overcoming the one who had brought so much terror and cruelty to the world.

However kind their words, however true their statements, he still felt he was partially to blame. He felt there was something he failed to do, something he should have acted quicker on – perhaps it would have spared the lives of so many.

A hand on his shoulder jerked him out of his thoughts. He turned quickly to look who the hand belonged to. "Ginny," he said, "What is it?"

"I tried calling from the doorway but you didn't respond," she looked at him, concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Harry nodded, "I'm fine," he lied. "What do you need?"

Ginny gazed into his eyes for a minute before settling with his answer. "Post has come for you and Ron – from Hogwarts."

"…Hogwarts?" he asked incredulously. "Why would they be sending us letters?"

She beamed, "There's only one way to find out!" she rushed over to her brother and shook him awake. He responded with a grunt and glared at her. She interjected before he could complain, "Hogwarts letters have come for you and Harry."

He stared at her dumbly.

A moment of silence passed as Harry and Ron both looked at each other, mirroring each other's puzzled expressions. Ginny cleared her throat, "Well come on you two! Let's go see what those letters are all about," she rushed out the door and disappeared down the staircase.

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Harry and Ron found their way into the kitchen, where Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were already seated at the table, whispering about the letters that sat a few inches in front of them. Their whispering ceased when Harry and Ron each took a seat across from them. Ginny had already opened her letter, which contained a list of the new spell books she would need for her final year at Hogwarts. Harry reached out and took his letter slowly, cautiously, as if it were about to explode. Ron did the same. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley sat and watched in anticipation as Harry began to open his mail. Ron stared at the front of his letter and leaned over to Harry, "That does say Ron Weasley, doesn't it?"

"Oh honestly, Ron! Don't be silly, just open it already!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. He followed orders and quickly tore open the letter. By the time he achieved that, Harry had already reread his letter through at least three times to make sure he was not mistaken.

"What does it say, Harry?" Ginny asked curiously.

"It says…" he trailed off and skimmed through the elegant writing that always accompanied a Hogwarts letter. "It says: Dear Mr. Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to past circumstances that were out of anyone's control, we have come to the decision to invite all students back to Hogwarts that were unable to complete their seventh year. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours Sincerely, Minerva McGonagall," he let his arm drop loosely to his side, letter still clutched in his hand.

Mrs. Weasley stood up abruptly from the table, knocking over the vase of flowers that sat upon it. "This is wonderful!" she cried, rushing over to throw her arms around Ron. Ron smiled sheepishly and looked from Ginny to Harry.

"This is unbelievable," he said.

"You're telling me," Harry said quietly.

Ginny walked over to Harry and he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her in a hug, she squeezed back. He released her and met her gaze, "You know what this means?" she asked him playfully.

"What?"

"It means we'll be in some of the same classes!" she squealed. He beamed at her, he'd never heard her let out a sound like that before. "You must be really excited," he said with a laugh.

Ron chimed in, "No snogging in between classes you two!"

Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled her wand out of her pocket, aiming it in Ron's direction. Ron jumped back, "I was just kidding!" he shouted. She shook her head and waved her hand quickly, "Reparo!"

The vase righted itself and the flowers flew back into their places. Mrs. Weasley smiled at Ginny, "Thank you dear," she said. "Well, I can't wait to tell everyone the news. Imagine the look on their faces!" she grinned and turned towards the counter. "I'm going to prepare a big dinner for you boys. This is cause for celebration," she began to drag food out of the refrigerator. "Ginny, come help me, dear."

Ginny groaned and with a final look at Harry and Ron, went over to help her mother. Ron turned his attention to Harry, "Do you think Hermione got her letter yet?" Harry shrugged and found his thoughts shifting to Hermione yet again. He'd been thinking about her almost everyday since she left for her trip. She embarked on a trip shortly after the funerals had taken place for their fallen comrades. Hermione left with a goal of finding her parents and recovering their memories. Now that things were safe, she missed them terribly and desired to have them around again.

As much as Harry and Ron insisted they go with her, she refused their help. Her reasons were that Harry deserved a nice long rest, and Ron should be staying and helping support his family. It made them both very uneasy letting her go on a potentially treacherous journey by herself, so they went to seek Hagrid's help. After listening to their story, Hagrid refused to let Hermione go without him, and there was no possible way to refuse Hagrid once he volunteered his help, this she knew. It had been two months and three letters later since Hermione's departure. Her most recent letter arrived a week ago, describing her adventure so far, and reassuring them that she was unharmed. She said that she was hot on the trail of her parents, that a few residents of a small town had spotted her mother and father leaving the town the previous day and were headed east. They seemed to be traveling the world on a very lengthy vacation.

This pleased Hermione, for it confirmed that her charm was successful in ensuring their safety. Harry and Ron had yet to respond to her letter, fearing that Pig, Ron's owl, wasn't up to making such a long journey yet. The last trip they sent him on to deliver their letter took him nearly three weeks before returning home in a terrible state. His feathers were ruffled and one of his eyes was swollen shut. Ron figured it was the wind that gave him a rough time, considering the owl was miniature and was easily pushed around.

"Harry?"

Harry blinked a few times and readjusted his glasses, he looked at Ron. "What?"

"Is there something on your mind, mate? You've been standing there looking baffled for the past few minutes. As much as I like standing here, looking at you as a statue, I propose that we do something. I'm getting rather bored," he gave a lopsided smile.

"Very funny," Harry looked around at Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. They both had their hands full, as well as their wands, preparing dinner. "Alright, let's go find something to do."

Mrs. Weasley stopped them before they went out the door, "Ron, dear, do ask that lovely girl Luna over for supper, would you? She would like to join us for dinner, I'm sure."

Ron sighed.

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"Do you think Pig's up for the journey to find Hermione yet?" he asked Ron as they stepped out into the evening rays of the setting sun. The sky was a blur of orange and pink, and the breeze that had put Ron to sleep earlier was beginning to cool.

Ron stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Dunno, we'll have to check up on him when we get back. Hermione's probably wondering where our response is, you know how she gets."

They walked for a while in silence as Harry reflected on his own owl that had been lost the previous year. He turned to gaze up at the sky that was starting to darken as the night drew closer. He missed Hedwig. She had been his owl for his all his years at Hogwarts and was always there when you needed someone to talk to. It would be odd going to Hogwarts without her accompanying him. He wished she were here now, she was always reliable when it came to delivering letters. Harry knew that Hedwig could find Hermione in half the time it took Pig to discover her.

"Forgot how long of a walk this was," Ron stated.

"At least it's a nice night for it," they turned left and began to head up towards the steep slopes and hills that hid Luna's house. It took a good twenty minutes before they arrived at her doorstep.

Luna and her father, Xenophilius, had redesigned their house since the explosion last year thanks to the Erumpent horn that Mr. Lovegood mistook for the horn of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Their house was now five stories tall, still very narrow, and angled every which way. It resembled a giant tree house. It seemed only a matter of time before it collapsed to the ground or toppled over. They had painted it a brilliant yellow with blue shutters, reminding Harry of a sunny day.

"Bloody hell," spat Ron as he gazed upon the odd shape of the house. He grabbed the door knocker which was shaped like a Q and swung it forward a couple of times with a loud bang. Harry figured it stood for Mr. Lovegood's outrageous magazine, The Quibbler. Although he had to give him credit for publishing his true account of the night Voldemort returned, it definitely turned things around for him at Hogwarts. However, now that things were back to normal and Mr. Lovegood's memory erased, due to Hermione's Obliviate spell late last year, he had once again started publishing stories about Nargles and an assortment of creatures Harry had never heard of before.

After fidgeting around outside for a few minutes, Harry and Ron heard the soft sound of footsteps coming to the door. "It's about time," Ron said. The door creaked open and there stood Luna, looking as airy as ever. She had her hair cut shorter this summer, to her shoulders. Her big blue eyes still held the dreamy look that they always held and she curved her lips up into a small smile when she saw them.

"Harry Potter," she addressed him in a soft voice and then turned to Ron, "And Ronald Weasley." Harry and Ron shot each other looks out of the corners of their eyes and beamed at her. She waved them inside and once they stepped in, a strong smell of peppermint sat waiting to greet them.

Ron let out a cough and looked around the room for the source of the smell. They saw a grey haze billowing out of the kitchen and assumed that whatever was cooking in there created the odor. Luna started to head for the kitchen and before disappearing into the cloud of smoke, she turned to them, "Would you boys like some tea? I made it myself," she smiled.

"Oh, uh, well Luna –"

"We'll take some," Harry said before Ron could burst out with a lame attempt at a refusal. Ron glared at him and clenched his jaw before looking at Luna with a forced smile.

"Love some," he said weakly.

Luna grinned at them and wandered into the grey cloud. Ron drummed his fingers on his jeans and peered around the room. "Hasn't really changed much in here, has it?" he said. Before another word could be said, Luna emerged with a tray of cups containing her concoction. She placed the tray upon the table that sat in front of Harry and Ron.

"Here you go boys," she said with a smile. Luna took her own cup and sat in a bright blue armchair across from them. She gazed at them with that dreamy look.

They returned her gaze for a minute before registering that they were expected to take their tea. Harry and Ron quickly reached for the cups and bumped into each other's arms. They fumbled around for a second and finally took a cup. Luna sat sipping her tea in amusement. An awkward silence passed between the three, the only sound came from Luna drinking her tea. Harry took a taste of his and immediately regretted it. It tasted like a pair of sweaty gym socks. He puffed up his cheeks and swallowed hard as the hot substance trickled down his throat. He set his cup back down on the tray and looked at her, "Very good," he said with a poor excuse for a smile.

"Really?" Ron asked in surprise. Harry shot him a look of disapproval. He frowned and took a swig of his tea. Harry heard him choke and sputter and tried covering up the ruckus he was causing.

"So, Luna, how's your father doing?" he asked.

She seemed blissfully unaware of the fit Ron was throwing. "He's doing well. He's back to working on the Quibbler full time. Although I had a bit of trouble when I tried explaining what had happened to our house and why there was a massive hole in it," Harry felt a twinge of guilt. "Are you boys enjoying your summer?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, yeah we are. I meant to tell you, Ron and I got invited back to Hogwarts; apparently all the seventh years that didn't finish get to go back. It's unbelievable isn't it? I thought they had made a mistake," Harry said as he cast Ron another look. He was still having trouble trying to swallow the big gulp of scalding tea all at once.

"Oh, that's wonderful. I wonder who else will return…" she said with a whisper.

Finally managing to swallow, Ron gasped for air, his face bright red. "That tea is really hot," he said shocked. Luna giggled at him. Ron let out another cough and rubbed a hand through his messy hair, once again reminding Harry of his father. "By the way Luna, we're having dinner at my place to celebrate our return to Hogwarts. Thought you might like to come, my mum would love to see you again," he said.

Luna turned a shade of pink and nodded, "I'd like that."

"Good," said Ron, "Now then, let's Apparate back, I really don't feel like walking all that distance again, I'm starving."

Harry and Luna nodded in agreement.

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A loud crack rang over the grounds as Ron, Luna, and Harry appeared in front of the Weasley's house. Harry immediately noticed the arrangements Mrs. Weasley had set up in their absence. A large white tent was now in the center of the garden, emitting a soft glow. Harry turned and looked at Ron and Luna and they wore the same expression of shock. Mrs. Weasley worked fast.

The three of them wandered inside of the tent and were quickly greeted by all of the guests seated at the large table that was in the center. Two chandeliers levitated a few feet above the table, illuminating all of the food that was upon it. Harry beamed as he spotted the entire family of Weasley's. Lee Jordan, Mrs. Tonks, Teddy Lupin, and Fleur had also come to join in the celebration.

"I had no idea so many people were coming," Ron said in disbelief.

"Your mum's really outdone herself this time," Harry said. Ron, Harry, and Luna wandered over to fetch themselves a seat.

Harry took a seat beside George who was chatting merrily to Lee Jordan about new inventions and ideas. He turned to beam at Harry and Lee Jordan poked his head out in front of George's shoulder to grin at him too. "Harry! I bet you're thrilled to be returning to Hogwarts," George nodded.

Harry shrugged, "A bit, yeah."

Lee chimed in, "George and I have been working non-stop on new jokes. You really ought to stop by when you're in Diagon Alley. We'll give you a discount!" he exclaimed while raising his pointer finger in the air.

George let out a small laugh, "We've just invented this new type of sucker, Harry. It's bloody brilliant," he said proudly. "When you suck on it, it turns your hair different colors, keeps changing as the sucker gets smaller, finally goes back to normal once it's gone," he said matter-of-factly.

"My hair turned rainbow just yesterday," Lee said with a snort.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Lee with rainbow colored hair. Ron was piling his plate full with all sorts of food that Mrs. Weasley had prepared. Harry stared in awe as he examined the table full of dishes. He looked down at his empty plate and thought it best to fill it. "Good plan, there mate," George said as he began to dish food out onto his own plate.

Mrs. Weasley was listening intently to Fleur's discussion of baby names for her future child. Bill tried acting ignorant of the conversation by staring at his soup. Fleur was three months pregnant and kept telling everyone how she hoped it was a girl; she had so many family heirlooms to pass down and things to teach her. Mrs. Weasley nodded along to Fleur's constant chatter and threw in her own suggestion every once in a while.

Mr. Weasley was busy conversing with Charlie and Percy about the Ministry and how some heartbroken witch had put a tongue-tying charm on her ex-boyfriend who happened to be a muggle and seeing another woman right under her nose. "I can't blame her, really. But none the less, she had to be brought in," Mr. Weasley said with a bit of a frown.

Ginny and Luna seemed to have forgotten all about the dinner and were busy making over Teddy Lupin, Remus' and Tonks' son, and Harry's godson. Andromeda Tonks, Tonks' mother, was smiling and informing the two girls about how Teddy had started to walk. Teddy glanced up at the girls once in a while to ensure they weren't about to snatch his mashed potatoes, which he happened to be covered in.

Harry chuckled as he watched his godson smear more potatoes on his face and throughout his hair and saw Andromeda shake her finger disapprovingly. He looked at Ginny, who caught his eye and gave him a warm smile. He grinned back and wished he could leave with just her in tow and go somewhere where they could be alone.

Ron stuffed a large piece of roast beef into his mouth and turned to Harry, "Too 'ad 'Ermionesh not hur. She wouldave enshoyed thish," he said through a mouthful.

Harry stared at him, "Could you repeat that?" he asked, "In English?"

Ron swallowed hard and grinned, revealing a piece of beef stuck between his teeth. "It's too bad Hermione's not here, isn't it? She would've enjoyed this," he said sadly. Harry could tell Ron missed her terribly, but refused to come out and say it. He had been a great help to her while Voldemort was alive and after his defeat. Ron made sure Hermione stayed safe during the fight at Hogwarts, constantly keeping a vigilant watch on her, making sure no Avada Kedavra's were headed her way. He protected her, and she was grateful. Although Hermione was a far better wizard than Ron was at the time, she still appreciated having him close by, it made her feel safe.

Hermione returned the favor by staying close to Ron's side during the funeral for Fred. She supported him, made sure he was okay, and helped him get through the rough patches. Harry thought Ron became more mature with Hermione constantly assisting him, but he seemed to revert back to his old self after she left, much to Harry's relief. He was a bit of a snob when he was trying to impress Hermione.

Harry saw Ron gobble down the last crumb of food on his plate and quickly reached out to dish seconds onto it. He grinned; Ron always had a big appetite. A soft tap on a glass sounded throughout the tent and grasped everyone's attention. Mr. Weasley was beaming as he looked upon everyone, a wine glass held firmly in his grip.

"Well, I'd just like to thank everyone for coming," he said, tilting his glass to all the guests, even though most were his own family. He took a sip of the crimson wine and cringed as he swallowed down the strong liquid. Mr. Weasley placed his glass back down upon the table and cleared his throat. "I'm proud of you both – Ron, Harry. Although many students who did not complete their final year were invited back, they declined the invitation. One can hardly blame them after all of the atrocities that took place there," he said slowly.

"However, these boys, and Ginny as well," he pointed to Ron, Harry, and Ginny, "These three remain strong and ready to take on the world again. Mrs. Weasley and I couldn't be more proud of you three. It takes quite the strong mind to brave back into Hogwarts, overcoming all of the bad memories. But you three are devoted enough to your education, to further your career possibilities, to overcome any obstacle I think," he said with a proud smile. "After the fight all of you put up though, and this goes for everyone sitting at this table tonight, after the fight we all put up, we're lucky this many of us made it here tonight. I'm happy to be looking at all of you."

"Let's take a moment of silence to remember those that couldn't be with us to celebrate tonight. Sirius Black, Ted Tonks, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Tonks, I'm sure they all would have loved to be here to celebrate your triumphant return to Hogwarts, and to share this time together," Mr. Weasley bowed his head and the rest followed suit.

Harry spoke up, "Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore, and Dobby as well, Mr. Weasley," he said.

Mr. Weasley nodded at Harry with a fond look in his eyes, "Yes, thank you, Harry my boy. Let us all remember those we loved and those we lost."

Silence fell over the tent as each person seated at the table bowed their heads in respect. Even Harry's godson, Teddy, was quiet as a mouse. He seemed to understand the situation, even though he was only eight months old.

"Now then, shall we get down to desert?" Mr. Weasley said, clapping his hands together. Everyone let out a small laugh and with a wave of her wand, Mrs. Weasley had cleared out the dinner plates and in their place were dishes of deserts.

"Oh boy," Ron said, taking a slice of chocolate cake and setting it on his plate. "Mum's really outdone herself this time," he said grinning.

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As the night wore on, Harry's thoughts became more and more focused on Hermione. He was lying on the bed opposite Ron's, staring at the ceiling, wondering where she was and how she was doing. He ran his fingers through his messy hair, deciding that when they were in Diagon Alley, he was going to get a haircut. He used to keep his hair longer to hide his scar, but there was no reason to hide it anymore. Everyone already knew who he was, and he felt that now, more than ever, he should be proud of his scar.

Harry turned restlessly on his side and looked out the window at the starry night sky. He had been aching to see Hermione again. And every day that passed without her, the ache spread to another part of his body. He frowned as he wondered why he felt this way. Was this normal to feel this way about a friend? He didn't ache to see Neville, or Seamus, or Dean, he missed them all, but there was no ache, no desire. _Desire?_He stared blankly at the window ledge. Surely Ron felt the same way that he did.

"Ron has an excuse, he's _dating_ her," he said softly. Harry groaned and closed his eyes, trying to welcome sleep. But sleep did not come, only more thoughts of Hermione poured into his brain, tormenting him. He missed her so much, and he wanted nothing more than for her to walk through Ron's bedroom door and throw her arms around him. He smiled at this thought but quickly shook it off once he realized how selfish his thoughts were. Ron probably missed her ten times as much as Harry did. He had no right to be thinking this way about a dear friend, his best friend's girlfriend.

The thoughts of her continued to overwhelm him – she had stayed with him through the entire journey to find the horcruxes. She had supported him, even when he had no idea what he should be doing. She was there when he visited his parents' grave; she was there to hold his hand, to make him stronger. Hermione knowingly put herself in danger for him. Harry knew that he couldn't have done what he did without her.

He also knew that the same could be said for Ron. If Ron hadn't been there, he wouldn't have been able to destroy one of the horcruxes at all. Harry rubbed his eyes and finally forced himself to clear his thoughts of Hermione.

Sleep enveloped him instantly.

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I don't own anything associated with Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling! I'm just writing this for fun. Chapter two may be up soon, depends on how motivated I get to continue this story. We'll see how it goes! Big thanks to Tyrtsu for bringing a few matters to my attention! I've edited them, so thanks much!


	2. The Dangers of Desire

Chapter Two

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Harry arose the next morning to find Ron already missing. He took a minute to peer around the room before reaching for his glasses on the bedside table. He slid them onto his eyes and watched as things slowly began to come into focus. Harry climbed out of bed and dressed quickly, throwing on a black t-shirt with a pair of jeans. He started for the door and stopped suddenly when he noticed that Ron's bed was made. _Ron's_bed was made?

He found it odd that Ron suddenly decided to be tidy. Shrugging it off, he made his way downstairs. Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the kitchen table along with Mr. Weasley and smiled at him when he entered, "Good morning, Harry. Happy Birthday!" Mrs. Weasley said merrily.

Mr. Weasley tucked his Daily Prophet away and placed it upon the table, "Yes, Happy Birthday Harry!" he exclaimed. "How does it feel to be 18?"

"Feels the same as it did yesterday," Harry said with a grin.

"Aha! Wait until you get my age, you'll really start feeling those birthdays," Mr. Weasley joked. Mrs. Weasley stood from her chair and rushed over to Harry. She put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him with a twinkle in her eye.

"Your cake will be ready by this evening, Harry. I'm putting extra effort into this one, just wait until you see it, you'll be amazed!" she said proudly.

"Mrs. Weasley, really, there's no need to trouble yourself," Harry said guiltily.

"Oh, nonsense! Now you sit yourself down here next to Arthur and have some breakfast. Most important meal of the day, you must eat!" she pushed Harry down into a chair and went over to the counter. "What would you like dear?"

Harry glanced at Mr. Weasley who was shaking his head with a big grin on his face. "Better eat, Harry. You won't be able to leave this room until you do," he said chuckling.

"Just toast please, Mrs. Weasley. I don't have much of an appetite this morning."

Mrs. Weasley nodded and turned back towards the counter, "Very well dear."

Harry spotted the folded Daily Prophet on the table and leaned over to read the headline. _'Minister of Magic Meddles With Muggles'_. Harry picked up the Daily Prophet and opened it to read the article. He gazed at the picture of the newly appointed Minister standing behind a podium, smiling broadly at him. The new minister was older, with a head full of loose, white curls. He had a small, white goatee that came to a point, which made his unusually broad chin look even bigger. His slanted, narrow eyes held a look of sincerity to them, and wrinkles covered his extremely pale skin. Harry redirected his attention to the article.

_'Just last night, the Minister of Magic, Daneus Divariss, finally tracked down the last of the muggles to witness any magical occurrences during the terror of He Who Must Not Be Named. Daneus Divariss insisted on bestowing memory charms upon any muggle that happened to see anything magical. The Minister of Magic insisted that their memories not to be completely erased, but altered. Daneus Divariss has created the charm to do just that. He told the Daily Prophet late last night that it was wrong to make the muggles forget their entire lives; he didn't wish such an atrocity on anyone. Therefore he invented the charm Amendium Memorus, which is designed to alter any person's memory to your liking._

_Although potentially dangerous, the spell can force you to recall a memory that never happened in your life at all – or forget one that's very dear to you. However, Daneus Divariss insists that the muggles' memories were only deleted at the exact point they witnessed magic. The rest of their memories remain intact, so the charm makes the muggles forget that anything of the magical sort ever happened. Daneus Divariss has indeed made his mark on history by not only proving that he's a great and talented wizard, but by providing us with a new memory charm, the Amendium Memorus, which will surely benefit and refine our world.'_

Harry took his final bite of toast and sipped down some juice before folding the paper and looking at Mr. Weasley. "Looks as if we finally got a Minister of Magic with common sense," Harry said.

Mr. Weasley snorted and nodded in agreement.

"Where's Ron anyway?" Harry asked Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley tossed a glance at the clock that held all of their pictures and their locations. Ron's was still stuck at 'home'. "He should be outside with Ginny. I believe their mother had them weed out the garden of gnomes again."

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Ron and Ginny were covered from head to toe in dirt splotches by the time Harry arrived. Ginny's sleeve was ripped on her t-shirt and Ron's knees were covered in mud. Ron was cursing as a gnome sprinted between his legs and ran for shelter. He chased after it and Harry noticed the leaf that was blowing around in Ron's hair. He laughed and watched as Ginny clawed fiercely at a bush, Harry figured gnomes were scattered about in it, trying to hide from the monstrous hand that was attacking their home. "Would you like some help?" he said with a cheeky smile on his face. Ginny looked up at him exasperated. She kept her eyes on him as she plucked out a gnome from the bush and held him up by the ankles for Harry to see.

"I absolutely hate these things," she said with a fierce tone to her voice. She whipped the gnome into the field behind the hedge and dusted her hands off. "Unbelievable that mum made us de-gnome the garden today, you'd think she'd give us all a day off." She folded her arms across her chest and watched as Ron trudged back with a few scratches on his face. "Happy Birthday," Ginny said to Harry with a smile.

"Thanks," he winked at her.

She leaned towards him and whispered in his ear as Ron came closer, "I'll give you your present later." Ron arched a ginger eyebrow suspiciously at his sister before letting out an exhausted sigh.

"Bloody hell, I think those gnomes are rebelling you know," he said as he rubbed his scratched cheek. "They're quite a bit more bloodthirsty this time around. I bet they've been planning to fight back since we de-gnomed the place last time – Oh, Happy Birthday Harry!"

Harry beamed, "Thanks Ron. Do you guys need any help?" he asked.

Ginny shook her head immediately, "There's no way you're doing this on your birthday. Besides, we've pretty much cleared all the shrubs out anyway – Right Ron?"

"Right," Ron said.

Harry shrugged, "Fair enough. So what do you guys want to do?"

"Clean up," they both said in unison.

"Go to it then," he said, "I'll be out here when you guys are all finished."

"Up for a game of Wizard's Chess after I'm done, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded, "Sounds great."

With that established, Ron and Ginny headed inside to wash up. He could just imagine when they stepped inside with all that dirt on them. Mrs. Weasley would have a fit, he was sure of it. He could hear her now, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN THIS HOUSE LOOKING LIKE THAT?" Harry laughed and visualized Mrs. Weasley chasing them off with a broom like someone would a wild animal. Sure enough, Harry heard the distant uproar of Mrs. Weasley lecturing Ron and Ginny.

He shook his head with a smile. Harry spotted a small stone bench seated just at the edge of the garden and headed over to it to take a seat. He gazed around at all of the flowers that summer had brought with it and admired their wide variety of colors. A few birds fluttered by, chirping happily in the warm summer's sun. Harry's thoughts started churning once again, diving into the dark thoughts that he'd been having about Hermione. He looked down at his feet and frowned. _What was the meaning of this?_ Harry wanted more than anything to voice his thoughts, to tell Ron, to tell Ginny. To trust in his friends to hold his thoughts and his feelings as he always had. However, he couldn't talk to Ron – especially not to Ginny.

The thoughts he was having about Hermione were ones of a deep love, passion, something he shouldn't even be enjoying. But he was enjoying them. He was enjoying the thoughts of what it would be like to kiss her, to hold her. Harry always got a swelling feeling in his chest when Hermione would hug him, but he thought it was just impatience or nerves caused by the situation that was occurring at the time she gave him the hug. _Why now?_ Why didn't he start feeling this way before Ron and Hermione got together, before he started dating Ginny? Why couldn't he have realized his feelings while they were alone together hunting horcruxes?

Harry groaned and kicked the ground in annoyance. He had to get rid of these feelings – these thoughts before they ended up hurting the people that he cared the most for. But how? He thought that maybe there was some sort of potion that existed that could banish all of your secret desires for good. Harry wondered about this for a moment and then jerked around suddenly when he thought he heard a small popping sound.

Seeing nothing, he turned to face the garden again. If only Hermione were here, he thought, she would know if such a potion existed. Although he quickly dismissed this thought, he could never ask Hermione. She would want to know why he'd want such a potion, and he would never be able to reveal the reason to her. Harry decided that when they went to Diagon Alley, he'd browse for a book about potions to see if anything existed that would help him overcome these torturous feelings. He'd have to do it alone, of course – Ron and Hermione would be too suspicious of him actually wanting to browse through spell books.

"Happy Birthday Harry," a voice said softly from behind him. He narrowed his eyes and turned slowly to look at who had said it.

_"Hermione?"_ he blurted out in disbelief. He stared longingly at her; she had grown taller over the months she had been away. He couldn't recall her looking this beautiful before. Harry stood and found himself having trouble thinking of something to say.

She smiled at him and threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. He felt the familiar swelling in his chest. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist. Harry held onto her, pulling her body as close to his as he could manage. He heard a sigh escape her lips and felt her loosen her arms from around his neck slowly. Harry opened his eyes and met hers. Hermione gazed at him for a moment with her usual small smile upon her lips. He wanted so bad to lean down and kiss her, thinking it would make his ache subside. "I've missed you so much, Harry," she said in a whisper.

"I've missed you too," he said quickly.

This made her smile again and she glanced around before pulling herself away from Harry. "Where's Ron?" she asked.

Harry felt his heart sink. _Of course_ she'd want to see Ron. "He's inside cleaning up," he nodded towards the Weasley house. "Come on, let's go inside. Mrs. Weasley will be thrilled to see you."

---------------

Mrs. Weasley yelped once she spotted Hermione. "Oh, my dear! Arthur and I have been worried sick about you!" she said as she pulled Hermione into a hug. "So glad to see you're safe, dear. Come, come, have a seat, I'll get you a drink. Are you hungry?"

"No, I'm alright," Hermione reassured her, "Just a drink is fine," she said with a smile. Hermione sat down and Harry hesitated for a second before choosing a seat beside her.

"So I take it you found your parents then?" Harry asked.

She looked down at the table, "Well, yes, I did. However, I think it's impossible to recover their memories. I've researched non-stop since I've found them, but I can't find anything to reverse the charm whatsoever," she said sadly.

Mrs. Weasley placed a glass of pumpkin juice in front of Hermione and took a seat across from them. She looked at Hermione sorrowfully, "I'm so sorry to hear that, dear."

"Yeah, me too…" Harry said.

Hermione brightened up, "However, they are safe, so that's better than anything. They're back at home now; I've been trying to fill them in on the details. Of course some of it they're having trouble accepting."

"Like the part about you being a witch?" Harry asked.

"Yes, that part," she said, looking at him. Their eyes met again and Harry had to look away to avoid feeling attracted to her. Mrs. Weasley folded her hands on the table and looked between Harry and Hermione, she cleared her throat.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe dear. And not to worry – I'm sure your parents will be back to normal in no-"

"Hermione!" Ron called from the stairway. He flew down the remaining steps, stumbling on a couple and arrived beside her chair faster than they all could blink. She turned to grin at Ron.

"Oh, Ron!" she said, standing up from her chair and embracing him in a tight hug. Harry glanced at them, feeling a strong surge of jealousy. He picked her up off her feet and hugged her back, swinging her around.

"Ronald, don't you dare break anything in this kitchen or I'll have your head!" Mrs. Weasley screeched.

Ron quickly set Hermione down on her feet and beamed at her. He looked at his mother and Harry and then back to Hermione, "D'you think I can have a moment?" he asked.

Hermione glanced back at Harry before nodding, "Sure," she said. "Be back in just a minute," she said to Harry and Mrs. Weasley. They ventured off upstairs.

"Are you all right Harry?" he heard Mrs. Weasley ask.

He turned from the empty spot that Hermione and Ron once stood in and nodded at her, "I'm fine, thanks," he said.

"Well your cake's in the oven now, dear. It should be ready anytime now. I'll start fixing a nice dinner to go with it," she said smiling.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," he said appreciatively. Harry had already started imagining what Ron and Hermione were talking about – what they were doing. He cringed as he tried to suppress the thought of them kissing and talking about how much they missed each other. Harry felt a beast rage inside of him, screaming at him to go and interrupt them, to go and see what they were up to. _No,_ he told himself. He wouldn't allow this jealousy to overtake him – control him. He focused his attention on Mrs. Weasley. She was pulling out some onions from the fridge and with a wave of her wand, a few kitchen knives started dicing up the onions on the counter right away.

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Weasley?" he already knew her answer, but thought it best to ask anyway. He was desperate for anything that might distract him.

"Oh, Harry, dear. You're such a sweet boy. But no thank you, there will be no work for you on your birthday!" she protested.

He sighed. Trying to clear his thoughts of Hermione _was_work. Harry searched around the room for something to entertain him. Ginny arrived just in time. "Ginny," he said relieved.

She offered up a warm smile and took a seat beside him. "How's it going? Keeping mum company, are you?" she said with a giggle.

Harry beamed at her, "It seems that way." He reached over and took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. She leaned against him and watched her mom go about her business. Soon enough, Hermione and Ron rejoined them – both red in the face. Harry scowled.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're back!"

----------------

They were all seated in the garden again, but at a cozier table this time. It was circular, made of a dark mahogany, and was just round enough to seat all of them comfortably. At least they didn't have to shout to get word down to one another like the previous night. Mr. Weasley and Ron were already digging into their meals – a nice juicy ham with boiled potatoes and noodles. Hermione was seated next to Ron and was politely waiting for Mrs. Weasley to arrive back at the dinner table, as were Harry and Ginny. Ginny sat between Ron and Harry, putting Harry almost directly across from Hermione. He had trouble keeping his eyes off of her.

"Why donsh doo guysh eat?" Ron said, stuffing another potato into his mouth.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Because we're waiting for your mother, Ron. Honestly, don't you have any manners at all?" she asked, watching bits of potatoes fall from his mouth.

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged at her "I'm 'ungry."

"Big surprise there," Ginny said with a laugh. Mr. Weasley chuckled and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. He set down his fork, thinking it best to wait for his wife since almost everyone else was. He didn't want Molly to be angry with him.

Mr. Weasley looked at Harry, "Bit quiet over there, Harry – everything alright?" Suddenly everyone's attention was on him, including Hermione's.

Harry squirmed under her gaze, "I'm great." He glanced up at Hermione, who stared back into his eyes for a minute before turning to watch Mrs. Weasley emerge with a floating cake.

The cake was three layers tall, lathered with a baby blue icing and also a white icing to line the edges of the cake. Everyone stopped what they were doing to marvel at the spectacle Mrs. Weasley had brought out with her. She guided it over to the table with her hand and carefully set it down; it came down with a loud 'thump'. Mrs. Weasley grinned proudly at the skyscraper of a cake she had created.

"Blimey," Ron said in shock, "How'd you manage that, mum?"

"A little magic, dear," she responded with a wink.

"Mrs. Weasley, you really didn't have to do all of that-"

"Oh, shush, Harry. You've earned this treat," Mrs. Weasley said firmly.

Mrs. Weasley took her seat beside Mr. Weasley and they all nodded in agreement that it was time to chow down – although Ron was ready for desert. He eyed the cake deviously while licking his lips. Mrs. Weasley shook her finger at Ron, "You'll just have to wait Ronald."

He groaned as if he were in pain. "But mum-"

"No, Ronald. You just had to go ahead and stuff yourself before everyone else – now you'll have to wait for us to finish. Harry should be the one with the first piece of cake, and that's final," she said.

Ron collapsed back in his chair and looked around at everyone eating their dinner; he sighed and dished another helping of potatoes onto his plate. Hermione sighed and took a sip of her wine. She looked up at Harry with her auburn eyes and watched him.

Harry finished chewing a piece of ham and swallowed. He reached for his glass and noticed Hermione's eyes on him. He looked at her. _What was she thinking?_ For a few moments, neither of them blinked or broke each others stares. Harry narrowed his eyes and continued to watch her. Hermione returned his gaze and gave him a small smile.

"Oh, Hermione – I completely forgot," Ron mentioned. She jerked her head towards Ron and cleared her throat.

"Forgot?"

Harry shook his head slowly and took a sip of his drink; he tried acting interested in Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's conversation.

"Did you get your Hogwarts letter?"

Harry returned his attention to Ron and Hermione again – he too was intrigued to find out if Hermione had received her letter.

Hermione beamed, "I did, just yesterday. It's great, isn't it? Now we can finally complete our N.E.W.Ts!" she said excitedly.

"Oh, yeah, those…" Ron trailed off and took another bite of potato. Harry laughed at this and felt for the first time in a while, it finally felt back to normal. Hermione would always lecture them both on tests and homework, while Harry and Ron ignored her and decided to talk about Quidditch instead. It felt liberating to have to worry about schoolwork again and nothing else.

Harry's mind trailed off to thoughts of Quidditch and he found himself hoping that he could play again this year. Although he was uncertain how they would manage with double the amount of seventh years than normal. He figured the brilliant minds at Hogwarts would manage to come up with some solution.

"Time for cake!" Mrs. Weasley said in a sing-song voice. Ron clapped his hands together – he reminded Harry of a little kid at a birthday party. Mrs. Weasley cut out a large piece of cake and placed it on a plate. She handed it to Harry with a smile, "There you go, dear. Hope you like it."

"I'm sure I'll love it, Mrs. Weasley. Your cooking's the best," Harry said truthfully.

"Oh, you're such a charmer," she said, blushing.

Harry took a big bite of cake and savored in the sweet flavor of chocolate, "This is delicious, Mrs. Weasley. Best cake I've ever had," he said.

"Really now! You're too much, Harry," she said beaming. She handed everyone else a piece of cake and started eating a piece of her own. Everyone remained silent while gobbling down their tasty cake.

Harry finished his slice and wiped his mouth with a napkin – Ron had finished as well and his chin was covered in chocolate crumbs. Harry chuckled at him. He returned Harry's laugh with a grin. Hermione shook her head at Ron but smiled nonetheless. Things really were back to normal.

Well, normal except for the fact that Harry was unusually attracted to Hermione – a feeling that seemed to be growing with each passing minute. Harry looked at her with a smile on his face; she met his gaze and responded with a nod towards the other side of the garden. He understood. He stood up from his seat and gave Ginny a small pat on the shoulder. He called attention to everyone, "I'll be back in a minute, just going for a quick stroll," he informed them.

"Come back soon, we've got presents," Ginny said.

"I will."

He began to stroll away from the table and watched as Hermione excused herself as well. She caught up to him and walked by his side until they were out of sight. An awkward silence passed between them as they admired the garden at night time. Harry looked up at the starry sky and attempted to break the quietude. "Full moon tonight," he said. He thought of Lupin.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

More silence ensued. Harry put his hands in his pockets and looked over at her. Her eyes were glazed and she looked as if she had something troubling on her mind. He wanted to reach out and take her hand but decided it would be better not to. "Are you alright, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About?"

She hesitated and turned to look at him, "About us."

"_Us?_'"

"Hasn't it felt weird since I came back? It feels like there's something in the way, some kind of wall between us. Don't you feel it?" she asked, gazing at him with a look of desperation.

Harry swallowed hard and looked around the garden, hoping to find some kind of answer. Should he tell her? Should he tell her that since she left, he hasn't stopped thinking about her? That all he wants to do is forget everyone else and just hold her?

"No," he said. He hated himself.

Hermione crossed her arms and nodded solemnly, "Oh, it must just be me. I guess coming back to all of you guys has been a little awkward. You know, getting readjusted to everything. That must be it," she reassured herself.

"Yeah… Must be…"

--------------

A/N: Well, I changed the title - I think this one sounds a lot better. I believe it suits the story more too. Had a little trouble writing this chapter, registering for classes has gotten the best of me. Nerves are starting to bundle up with those nearing. So I'll try to keep updating, hopefully chapter three will be up soon. Thanks for reading!


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